Giles Carwyn and Todd Fahnestock, Queen of Oblivion

Queen of Oblivion

Giles Carwyn and Todd Fahnestock

Eos, Dec 2008, $25.95

ISBN 9780060829797

The minions of sorceress Issefyn threatens to destroy the Ohndarien Empire. Using her dark magic ability, the sorceress has infected many of her opponents with the magical 'black emmeria' that turns them into her slaves.

Zelani priestess Shara wants to join with her soulmate, the Heir of Autumn, former 'Sleeping Warden' Brophy, but the evil sorceress has infected him with her black emmeria poison. Brophy feels he is being pulled into two opposite directions. The love for his beloved Shara battles with Issefyn's droning voice inside his brain to join her side. As he struggles to hold back the overwhelming dark sorcery, he needs to obtain the mythical Heartstone gem that allegedly counters psychic maladies; that he believes is the only hope to save the freedom loving empire.

The final Heartstone epic fantasy (see 'Mistress Of Winter' and 'Heir Of Autumn') is an enjoyable conclusion as Shara learns you can't come home since home is not the same as your memory; in this case home is radically changed with the black emmeria turning everyone into slaves. The storyline is action-packed from the onset and never slows down even when a detour twist occurs. Newcomers will be lost in spite of Giles Carwyn and Todd Fahnestock providing two backdrop prologues (One half way into the book) as the 'Queen Of Oblivion' is a well written complex ending.

Harriet Klausner